Method of welding stainless steel



June 7, 1960 M. A. SCHEIL METHOD OF WELDING STAINLESS STEEL Filed July 17, 1958 FEED CONTROL AC. RECTIFIER INVENTOR. MERRILL A. SCHEIL ,dmw

2,939,942 Patented June 7, 1960 mode presently contemplated for carrying out the invention.

Referring to the drawing, there is shown a workpiece 1 to be welded by striking an are between the workpiece METHOD OF WELDING STAINLESS STEEL 1 and a stainless steel electrode 2 which may be in wire v or rod shape. As shown in the drawing, reverse polarity ggig m fififg figzawg g zi gzg fi arc welding is employed with the workpiece} connected New York to the negative terminal 3 of a sourceot dlrect current shown as a rectifier 4 and the electrode 2 connected to Filed y 1958, 749,128 the positive terminal 5 of the rectifier 4. The connection of the electrode 2 to the electric circuit is by a sliding 5 Chums (CL 219 74) contact 6 to allow movement of the consumable electrode. As the welding progresses, the portion of the electrode adjacent the workpiece is burned otf and transferred to This invention relates to a method of welding stainless the workpiece 1, steel and more particularly to a method of introducing a To maintain a predetermined arc length between the small amount of nitrogen into the stainless steel weld electrode and the work, the electrode 2 is continuously metal during the welding operation. drawn from a reel 7 by feed rollers 8 and fed through Recently, it has been discovered that the addition of a welding head 9 toward the workpiece 1. The feed small amounts of nitrogen to stainless steel provides the rollers 8 are variably driven by a motor 10 in accordsteel with increased physical properties at elevated temance with the arc length, as hereinafter described. The peratures. The addition of nitrogen to the stainless steel arc length is maintained practically constant by connectincreases the yield strength and rupture strength in the ing the arc voltage as a voltage source to an electrode l000 to 1400 F. range and is beneficial in reducing hot feed control 11 connected to the feed motor 10. If the cracking susceptibility. Furthermore, the susceptibility are voltage fluctuates, the feed control 11 varies the speed to intergranular corrosion is not as great in high nitrogen of the feed motor to return the arc length to normal. stainless steels. For example, if the arc length increases above normal,

As the addition of nitrogen to stainless steel does prothe arc voltage increases and this increased voltage is apduce increased physical properties, particularly at eleplied to the feed motor so as to increase the feed of the vated temperatures, it is also desirable to introduce nitroelectrode 2 to the work. Conversely, a decrease in arc gen into the weld metal joining stainless steel plates to length and therefore arc voltage results in a reduction provide the weld metal with corresponding improved of the feed of electrode 2 and a lengthening of the are properties at elevated temperatures. To provide the weld length until a normal arc is obtained. This is a conmetal with the desired nitrogen content, high nitrogen, ventional variable electrode feed arrangement and the stainless steel electrodes or core wires have been used feed control 11 is therefore shown in diagrammatic form. and these core wires are expensive and can be made The welding head 9 is constructed with concentric generally inlarge heats. cylinders '12 and 13 with the wire electrode 2 passing The present invention is directed to a simple and inthrough the central cylinder 12. The top of the outer expensive method of introducing nitrogen into the weld cylinder 13 is sealed to the inner cylinder 12 by a cap metal. According to the invention, the high nitrogen 40 14 welded to the outer surface of the cylinder 1'2 and is stainless steel base member is welded with a stainless threaded onto the outer cylinder 13 to provide an annular steel electrode in a shielding atmosphere consisting of passage 15 between the cylinders 12 and 13. To intronitrogen and an inert gas. The nitrogen comprises beduce the shielding gas about the welding arc, a source 16 tween 10% and 50% of the shielding mixture with the of gas is connected to the passage 15 by a tube 17. A balance being an inert gas, such as argon or helium. valve '18 in the tube 17 is employed to regulate the flow Carbon dioxide, while not generally considered an inert of gas to the passage 15. The gas passes through pasgas, can also be used in combination with the inert gas sage 15 and is discharged concentrically of.the electrode or as a substitute for the inert gas. to envelope the arc and thereby protect the welding zone By controlling the amount of nitrogen in the shielding from the surrounding atmosphere. mixture, about.0.15% to 0.25% of nitrogen in the form The base metal or workpiece to be welded can be any of nitrides will be formed in the weld metal, and the niof the conventional varieties of stainless steel, such as trides thus formed will increase the tensile strength and the -AISI type 200, 300 or 400 series of stainless steels. rupture strength of the weld deposit at elevated Specific examples of stainless steel compositions which tempe ture 7 can be welded with the method of the invention are as The addition of nitrogen to the weld metal also aids in follows in weight percent:

AISI Type Composition .15 max.-- .15 max--- .03 max--- .08 max.--.- .08 max... .20 max.-- .15 max. 5.57.6--..- 7.5l0.0... 2.0max-.- 2.0max.- 1.0 max.-. 1.5 max... Linux. .06 max.-- .06 max.-- .045max.-. .O45max... .041nax--- .04 max.-. .04 max. .03 max--- .03 max.-- .03 max--. .03 max .03 max--- .03 max.. .03 max. 1.0 max.-- 1.0 max.-- 1.0 max--- 1.0 max.-- 1.0 max.-. 1.0 max--- 1.0 max. 16.0-18.0... 17.0-19.0-.- 18.0-20.0... 17.0-19.0- 115-145-. 23.0-27.0-.- 11.5-13.5. 3.5-5.5--.-. 4.0-6.0....- -120.-.. 1.0-130...... .25 max .25 max.-- .25 max--- .25 max .25 max-- 25 max-.. .25 max.

refining the grain of some stainless steels, such as straight chrome stainless.

The drawing furnished herewith illustrates the best The electrode composition to be employed is substanof 0.03 to 0.05 for commercial stainless steels. The

'electrode may also contain some ferrite to prevent of to 50% nitrogen and the balance a substantially inert gas, such as argon or helium. Carbondioxide, which is usually classed as a slightly oxidizing gas 'may be'substituted for a portion or all of the argon or helium if desired.

It the nitrogen content in the shielding mixture is below 10%, the resulting nitride formation in the weld metal will be insufiicient to bring about the desired increase in physical properties, while if the nitrogen content is above 50%, bleeding of the nitrogen from the weld metal will occur which results in excessive porosity. The use of 10% to 50% of nitrogen in the shielding mixture'will generally result in a nitrogen content in the weld metal of about 0.15% to 0.25% and this amount of nitrogen is required to bring about the desired increase in physical properties in the weld metal.

Example 1 The edges of a pair of*%" x '6" x 12" type 308 stainless steel plates Were prepared for V-groove welding and a copper back-up strip was employed beneath the V- groove joint.

A diameter filler wire of type 308 stainless was used with A. O. Smith Corporation C-Omanual welding equipment and a current of 300 amperes was employed with a welding speed of 17.5 inches per minute."

During the welding, a gas shield was used which consisted of 75 cubic feet per hour of argon and 11.39 cubic feet per hour of nitrogen. I

The weld made in this manner Was smooth and sound and disclosed only a slight amount of very fine porosity. Chemical analysis of the weld metal revealed an average nitrogen content in the weld of 0.176%.

Example 2 trolled amount of nitrogen will be introduced into. the

weld deposit which increases the strength of the weld deposit at elevated temperatures and also aids in refining the grain of some types of stainless steel.

Various modes of carrying out the invention are contemplated as being within the scope of the following claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which is regarded as the invention.

I claim:

1. A method of arc welding, comprising establishing an are between a consumable stainless steel electrode and a stainless steel workpiece, feeding a gaseous medium consisting essentially by volume of 10% to 50% nitrogen and the balance being a substantially inert gas to the arc, and feeding said electrode toward the workpiece at a rate determined by the rateof'consumption of the electrode to provide a generally'constan't arc length.

2. A method of arc welding, comprising establishing,

an are between a consumable electrode-and a workpiece, said electrode and said workpiece being selected from the group consisting of the 200 type, the 300 type and the 400 type of stainlessisteel, feeding a gaseous medium consisting essentially of nitrogen, and a substantially inert gas to the arc, said nitrogen being of a sufiicient volume to provide a nitrogen content in the weld metal of 0.15% to 0.25% by weight, and feeding said electrode toward the workpiece at a rate to provide a generally constant arc length.

3. A method of'arc welding, comprising establishing an are between a consumable stainless steel electrode and a stainless steel workpiece, feeding a gaseous medium to the are, said gaseous medium consisting essentially by volume of from 10 to 50% nitrogen and the balance being a gas selected from the group consisting of argon, helium, carbon dioxide and mixtures thereof, and feeding said electrode toward the workpiece at a rate to provide a generally constant arc length.

4. A methodof arc welding, comprising establishing an are between a consumable stainless steel electrode and a stainless 'steel workpiece, said workpiece containing from 0.15 to 0.25 nitrogen to provide increased physincreased physical properties at elevated temperatures and said electrode being substantially free of nitrogen, feeding a gaseous medium consisting essentially by volume of 10 to nitrogen and the balance being argon tothe arc, and feeding said electrode toward the workpiece at a rate to provide a generally constant arc length.

References Cited in the file. of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Great Britain Oct. 17, 1956 

1. A METHOD OF ARE WELDING, COMPRISING ESTABLISHING AN ARC BETWEEN A CONSUMABLE STAINLESS STEEL ELECTRODE AND A STAINLESS STEEL WORKPIECE, FEEDING A GASEOUS MEDIUM CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY BY VOLUME OF 10% TO 50% NITROGEN AND THE BALANCE BEING A SUBSTANTIALLY INERT GAS TO THE ARC, AND FEEDING SAID ELECTRODE TOWARD THE WORKPIECE AT A RATE DETERMINED BY THE RATE OF CONSUMPTION OF THE ELECTRODE TO PROVIDE A GENERALLY CONSTANT ARC LENGTH. 